


If it ain't broke, don't fix it

by Spicysnowcone



Category: Persona 4, Persona 5, Persona 5 Royal
Genre: Emotional Hurt, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-10
Updated: 2021-03-10
Packaged: 2021-03-17 15:01:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,399
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29968149
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Spicysnowcone/pseuds/Spicysnowcone
Summary: Takuto had a college friend he hadn't heard from in years. After piecing the puzzle together, he finds out his friend was the killer in a small town. Even hearing his horrible label though, he wants to help him. Maybe he can save him, break him free, make him happy. All he needs is a yes or no from Tohru.
Comments: 3
Kudos: 14





	1. Message

**Author's Note:**

> I had no idea what to title this but enjoy!

After Rumi, I've had no one to turn to, other than Shibuzawa. I finally realized after going to him for advice far too much, I needed to consult someone else. Another friend who was always straight forward with me.

Tohru was always very blunt, but he never really meant to be. His mouth was like a broken zipper; you tell him to keep a secret, but somehow it manages to slip from his brain and out his mouth! I never needed to entrust him with such things, but it was a little funny seeing how clumsy he was. I had to stay in college longer than he did because I was getting my doctorate, but I did check in on him at his graduation. He looked delighted to see me like I was the first person to congratulate him. Thinking back on it, I think I _was_ the only one.

Calling his cellphone lead me to a voice message, saying the line had been disconnected. It had been a while, he may have gotten a new phone. He mentioned getting demoted last year and having to move out to the countryside. I felt really bad for him, especially since he really thought he might get promoted that month. I didn't talk to him much after that. Me and Rumi were really hitting it off then, I didn't think to respond to his missed calls...did he ever email me? I do remember giving him my email address, but I never really check my inbox...  
Quickly, I opened the inbox and checked under his address. Oh how careless I had been, how stupid I was not to check...there were about thirty from him in the past two years. They all stopped after December 4th, 2011...I read the last one he sent me.

_Hey Maruki,_

_Decided I would go ahead and warn you. If you want safety, come to Inaba. The world is going to collapse soon, and combine with the other side. Everyone is going to become shadows. I know you don't read these anymore. Maybe I have the dense hope that you'll miraculously read these and save yourself. Oh well, not my fault if you don't. If you do, I'd like to spend time with you in this ideal world._  
_You were my friend Maruki. Why don't you come back?_

_-Tohru Adachi_

It ended there. It's been a year since that email...was he alright? Was he imagining things? Or did this have to do with that power I gained? The power I got when Rumi...  
I checked the other emails and felt my heart sink. Talking about making a new friend, only for him to be delving into loneliness weeks later. Him going from "Taku-tan" to "Takuto" to "Maruki". Bad decisions, heavy workloads, borderline insanity.

What a horrible friend I am...

Then I remembered...the Inaba murders he talked about...who was the culprit?  
I opened a new tab and typed in: "Yaso-Inaba Murder case"  
'Police have captured the culprit, but have kept their identity private.'  
I frowned. Well, that's gotten me nowhere. I do remember the police station though...

"Yaso-Inaba police, what's your emergency?"  
"Ah-Hi, no emergency, I just need to talk to one of your detectives."  
"Who do you want to talk to? They might be busy, so I can't guarantee you speaking with them."  
"Tohru Adachi."  
The other line was quiet, and they coughed a bit before I heard them get up from the desk, calling for someone. There were footsteps and a small sigh. My heart was racing, I was nervous to speak to him.  
"Hello?" A rough, deep voice said in the phone. I almost jumped, that definitely wasn't Adachi...oh! I remember now!  
"Is this Detective Dojima?"  
"Speaking."  
"Ah, good! I'm Takuto Maruki, a friend of Adachi's from college. Do you know where he is? I can't get a hold-"  
I hear a frustrated sigh and the telephone roughly put down. Before I can even utter another word, he's yelling. Something about _'First that detective, now some 'college friend' patronizing me!'_  
I should hang up...I close my phone and shiver. Did something happen? The stress of those murder cases...did he grow ill?

It always sat in the back of my mind. I had lost Rumi because of my actions, had I lost my friend to the same? If I had talked to him, would he have gotten better? Is it all my fault?  
It hurt my head so much.


	2. A Lie for a Perfect World

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Takuto sees his old friend again, in hopes he can change his reality.

Everything had been going well lately.

December 2016. I was exhausted that day because I caught a cold. Story after story played on the news as I laid on the couch, sniffling away.

"Today we caught the chance to have a chilling interview with the murderer from Yaso-Inaba."

The Inaba murders. I turn my attention to the TV and feel my face turn pale as I see the photo of the inmate. He looks like...no, I can't be in denial. That's Adachi. A sharp detective sits in front of him as he tries to intimidate Tohru with a narrow look, but Adachi sits unamused.

"Why did you hang those corpses from telephone poles and TV antennas?" He asks.

"Because the world sucks... I guess." he shrugs a bit. The detective is taken aback, "You killed them all for a reason like that!? You... Don't you have any remorse!?"

Adachi moves to cross his legs (which makes the detective jump a bit. I don't blame him for being on edge.) and crosses his arms, "If you're going to ask me something, can you make it something original?"

Snot drips from my nose, but I'm too shocked to even care. For being in prison, he seems pretty relaxed. But...he became a murderer? He was behind those cases? Is that the true reason he was so stressed...? That prison they named...

The least I could do is make everything up to him...

* * *

"You're here to visit him?" Asked the officer

"Yes, ah, I'm a college friend of his."

The officer eyed me and sighed, "We typically only let people on a guest list visit him. He-"

I panicked, "W-Well is there any way I can speak to him? Please I-I'm not trying to interview him or-"

"Can you let me finish?" He sternly said, making me stand up straight. He continued, "He already has a visitor at the moment. If you wait here, I can see if he'd be ok with talking to you. What's your name?"

"Takuto Maruki."

The officer turned around and checked a registry on the computer, before telling me to sit down in an uncomfortable waiting room chair. My face was still pink with embarrassment, interrupting him like that. What a goof I am...

Someone walked out from the meeting rooms. He was older than me, probably 20 years older, and looked really tough. Now that I think of it, Adachi's boss Dojima was older than him, right? Adachi told me he was the type to beat the pavement...I shiver thinking about the time Dojima slammed the phone down when I called years ago. If he's visiting Adachi though...

"Excuse me," I asked, standing from my seat. He turns and looks at me calmly, "Can I help you?"

"Yes, uhm...You're Ryotaro Dojima, right?"

He furrows his brows, but it looks more out of confusion, "Yeah, why do you ask?"

"I'm Takuto Maruki. I don't think you'll remember, but years ago I called about Tohru..."

His eyes widened, "Ah, it's you. You sounded familiar, I just hadn't seen you before." Dojima chuckles with a warm smile. He's a lot kinder than I expected, given my first impression was a slamming phone. I smiled back, "It's nice to finally meet you."

Dojima looked back at the hall again, where the guard at the front desk was walking down. His gaze lingers down it, "If you're here to visit Adachi, I'm sure you're going to surprise him. I'm the only person in his life anymore."

My eyes widened, "The only person...?"

He looked back, "Well, the only one who visits. I'm sure he has relatives somewhere." he smiled again, "It was nice to meet you, Maruki. I have to get home, but, ah..." he pulled out a crumpled piece of paper and a pen from his shirt pocket and wrote down his number, "Call me and tell me how it went."

Writing his number on a piece of paper? He really  _ is _ super old school...

"I will sir, Thank you Dojima."

With that, we parted ways, and the guard came down to tell me I could visit. All of my nerves bundled up at the confirmation, and they began to dance as he walked me down. To be frank, I was scared. But all I needed to do was talk to him. Besides, he already agreed to talk with me, I shouldn't have been so scared.

There he was, sitting behind a thick sheet of glass, wearing a pair of dull blue coveralls. There was a look on his face I hadn't seen before; he looked dead. It hurt to see this is how he felt now. Or had he always felt this way? How secretive was he? Was his mouth truly a loose zipper?

Those grey eyes looked at me with hidden emotion. When they met me, they were a lot brighter. Now, they look so dark...

"Is thirty minutes enough?" The guard asked. I nodded, even though I was so scared I'd be fine with thirty seconds so I could bolt out of there. But that'd be selfish of me. The officer walked out and waited outside. I slowly took a seat in front of him.

"Ah...hello, Tohru." I gave him the warmest smile I could muster. He looked at me, exhausted. I can imagine it's hard to sleep here...but I don't think that's why he looks so tired.

"You're about five years too late." He said, "Why did you come here? You see that interview and freak out?"

His personality was a bit different now. He used to be like a puppy dog, but now he's acting like a sly fox. Or maybe he turned into a feral puppy dog...

...that was a strange analogy. But it's true! Really!

"Yes, I did see that interview. I was...actually relieved."

His eyes widened, and I explained, "Around the time you spiraled, I was busy with...a loved one. I didn't have time to see your messages, and it was when I needed your advice that I finally saw them..."

It was becoming harder to say to him. Saying it aloud, it sounded pretty selfish...I looked down, "I'm very sorry, Tohru. I wish I would have helped you..."

It was eerily quiet. The fluorescent bulb hummed in the room, scratching my ears. Not the most comforting noise.

"Is that all?"

I looked up to see him giving off a goofy, but confused smile. I hadn't seen that smile in a long time. Knowing that stuck with him was somewhat of a comfort.

"I mean...I don't even know if you answering my phone calls or emails would have 'saved' me. I was done for the moment I..." he paused and sighed, letting out a weak laugh. I leaned forward, "The moment you what, Tohru?"

He looked at me and laughed, "What are you a counselor?"

...well, yes, I was. I guess he didn't know that...and I guess I forgot that this was a conversation, not an appointment. I leaned back and laughed, "Right, sorry! Ah...I was just thinking if you told me what happened..."

...I could save you.

"...I could understand your story better."

He looked at me funny. Well, it's better than telling him the truth. He sighed, mumbling, "I was jealous of someone. My boss, you met him...he was like a light for me when I got to that town in the sticks. He was...like a second father to me. Well, I don't know what one of those is like but..." he shook his head, moving his hands in a fluster, "Basically, he was my only friend there, and I felt like someone stole him from me. That's all."

"Someone stole him..." I thought aloud, "Oh, that boy in your emails, your Boss' nephew...?"

"You read all of those?"

I nodded, "Every word."

...that sounded creepy. Damnit Takuto.

He turned a bit pink, "Sorry, it was kinda like a public diary, right?" he smiled. I chuckled, "You know I like hearing about people's feelings! If anything, it was nice."

Tohru's smile turned soft, "It's weird...even in college I'd complain to you, and you wouldn't mind." he chuckled, "So weird..."

"Well, I think you know I've always been a bit eccentric."

"Yeah, but I guess I wasn't that normal either." he laughed.

We continued our conversation a bit more. The popular Phantom Thieves were a topic for us. He said kids shouldn't be getting involved with adult business, and when I asked why, he said "Because they'll get hurt. Not that I care, I just don't want to deal with it."

...I think it's because he secretly has a heart under that blank face.

I didn't tell him about my research paper, or Rumi, but I did tell him about my internship at Shujin. He said it was a good fit for me, and I couldn't agree more...I told him I left because I had a bigger calling.

My calling...that power...the email...

Just when our conversation was getting a bit more lively, I had to dull it out, "Tohru, about the last email you sent me..."

He rose a brow, "Which one...?"

"Ah..." I tried to think if it was a good idea to ask, and I shook my head, "It was just very cryptic. I was wondering if you remembered if maybe you were in a trance..."

He thought to himself, and then his eyes widened, "Oooh...yeah, ah, I think I was a bit hysteric." he chuckled.

It wasn't the answer I hoped for, but I was relieved...

Thirty minutes were up, and we said our goodbyes. Tohru looked at me with a different expression than last time, like it held gratitude. I, too, was thankful. Thankful I made his expression change.

Even if it meant I had to lie a little.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this is going pretty slow, so I'm sorry these aren't extremely excited *sob*

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! I know these two seem like a strange pair of friends, but I got the idea talking with one of my friends. They both are antagoists that know the world is horrible, but they take two different paths: fixing it, or breaking it. I'm not sure this all will line up with Takuto's timeline, since his is a little vague, but I figured I'd wing it. Also, this is my first fic on here so I have no clue what AO3 etiquite is, so I'm sorry if I do something wrong! Let me know what you think!


End file.
